Over the last year, 149 rangers across the globe have been killed with at least 54 of these rangers being from Africa. Many ranger deaths go unreported, so the actual figure is thought to be two to three times higher. World Ranger Day, acknowledges the contribution of these men and women to conservation.
“Rangers are ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things in amazing places for a noble cause. They are often the sole breadwinners within large families. When rangers are killed in the line of duty, they leave behind family members who struggle not only emotionally but also economically. We owe it to them to ensure their families are looked after,” said Andrew Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of the Game Rangers’ Association of Africa (GRAA).
To assist rangers and their families the GRAA, which is the oldest and largest ranger association in Africa, initiated the Ranger Protect project alongside SATIB Insurance Brokers. This offering provides death, disability and medical evacuation cover to rangers for as little as $30 per year.
“Recently one of our members had the misfortune of being gored by a Black Rhino whilst undertaking a rhino protection patrol. Thankfully due to Ranger Protect he was airlifted to a major medical centre where medical teams could stabilise his condition and ensure his recovery,” Campbell said.
